IT asset disposal is an industry with compelling drivers: security, regulatory compliance and eco-responsibility. What should companies large and small look for in the company that disposes of your end-of-life IT assets? By Joe Strathmann, GreenerComputing

When it came to properly disposing of unwanted IT equipment just three years ago, the landscape for business was remarkably different than it is today. Few states had laws in place overseeing electronics recycling and data security. The European Union's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) enacted in 2003 was still a year away from broad implementation.

Environmentally responsible IT asset disposal now a top priority for millions of businesses and consumers worldwide hadn't fully emerged as the global calling we've come to know.

While motivations differ among North American and European businesses, a new IDC survey finds evidence that information technology asset disposal (ITAD) is in the midst of a "major transformation," evolving from a relatively new sector to one with established processes and metrics. Nearly one third of companies today use a third-party IT asset disposal provider, according to the survey.

Yet, despite this transformation, small companies are far less likely to use ITAD services compared with medium- and large-size companies. The survey found an estimated 11 percent of organizations with less than 100 employees use a third-party service, compared with 65 percent of companies with 10,000 or more employees.

Now that ITAD is becoming a mainstream practice, businesses of all sizes can recover and dispose of unwanted equipment in a secure and environmentally responsible manner. As thousands of companies turn to the ITAD, three proven guidelines, borrowed from years of experience working with customers, will help guide and simplify the process.

Above all, take no chances with your data. Unwanted IT equipment contains sensitive and in many cases valuable information. A computer's hard drive contains millions of sectors, each laden with data. Before choosing a third-party provider, know how your equipment will be handled.

Disk overwriting to protect confidential information should at the very minimum be performed to ensure that all hard drives have been successfully "wiped" (all it takes is one missed sector to lead to a potential data loss). Providers should also guarantee independent third-party auditing on an ongoing process to ensure compliance with strict data security standards.

Second, ask for documentation. Documentation of the disposal process is key to every responsible disposal service, regardless of size or geographic location. Global providers with aggressive auditing processes in place should provide a certificate of destruction that includes the serial number, how the data was cleansed and whether the system was recycled or resold. With increased regulation and customer expectations around managing environmental impact, the days of hiring a provider without a comprehensive reporting structure are over.

Third, balance cost with the need for environmentally responsible disposition. The transformation of IT asset disposal is resulting in service offerings for organizations of every size. Yet despite the rising number of affordable options, organizations must work closely with their provider to ensure that reduction in cost doesn't mean reduction in quality. No business wants their brand name to be exposed to the risk of negative perceptions relating to pollution, loss of data, or unaudited equipment destruction.

One of the many examples of environmentally responsible asset disposition-and its potential to further transform the industry-is the concept of downstream auditing. As the world becomes flatter, disposal providers must take responsibility for traceability and downstream materials movement as key components of every program. This means pound-for-pound accounting at every level of the recycling process, 100 percent of the time.

Customers must require that systems determined to have no resale value be recycled based on industry accepted best practices for recycler performance standards. Your provider should strive to pursue a Zero Landfill Policy, where all materials are recycled rather than sent to a landfill.

Strict export policies that ensure no end of life materials intended for disposal would be sent to a developing country for disposal are also essential to drive transparent, accountable and responsible recycling of unwanted electronics. Before selecting a third-party provider, you need to ask yourself whom you trust to take care of your unwanted IT assets.

The global practice of disposing of, recycling, and reselling computer equipment is undoubtedly more established than it was three years ago. Businesses worldwide have an opportunity to take advantage of a more efficient and modern system one that is eliminating the barriers to affordable and secure disposal while creating opportunities to work together for a cleaner environment. The key is to choose wisely when selecting an ITAD provider.

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Joe Strathmann is senior manager of Asset Recovery Services at Dell. For more information on the Dell's recovery and recycling programs, visit www.dell.com/recycle.

This article has been reprinted courtesy of GreenerComputing.